Is A-Rod the Joe Camel of Major League Baseball?

Despite his talent and because of his paycheck, Alex Rodriguez polarizes baseball fans – even those who dream in pinstripes. (Full disclosure: I’m a Yankee fan and an A-Rod fan, myself.) What does this have to do with Joe Camel? Public sentiment about the hep ungulate is also quite divided. Think about it: JC must be beloved by many for R.J. Reynolds’ to stick by him despite moral outcries and legal issues claiming that the cigarette-smoking spokes-animal appeals too much to children. But here is the real reason I am comparing the two: this season, A-Rod is chewing what appears to be mass amounts of Bazooka bubble gum. Clearly he has collected enough comics to get the highly coveted Bazooka binoculars. So why does he continue to chew more gum than I’ve ever seen a player chew? All. The. Time? Perhaps he feels that by distorting his jaw to accommodate as much gum as possible, he can make himself actually look like Joe Camel – and thereby heighten the awareness of the plight they both share. IF that is not the case, A-Rod, step away from the bubble gum. With that look, even you wouldn’t want to kiss you.

~ @AdvertGirl

Note: My post originally appeared earlier today on ProjectShanks.com and is reprinted here with permission from the PS editor.